really disappointed after my trip to the BON

Don't think it should be any of the bons business if you got a dui or any other crimes that is not related or affects your work as a nurse.

The ruling on case 1 seems a little harsh. But in reality life is harsh like that and you can miss the mark by just one small thing. e.g., You can fail an exam by one point (or less). It is possible to go into default on a loan by paying ten minutes too late. So that's life and the RN has to accept that and be more diligent going forward if she wants to keep her license. How harsh life is often depends on who is involved. We can all probably cite cases of people who get the book thrown at them while others, for greater offenses, get apologies for causing them to have to come to court. It all depends on who you know and who's is favor and who's not. That's what I see happening, anyway. Who knows, maybe gender or race or perceived attitude or perceived religion entered into it. Or maybe who knows what? but do keep in mind that we do not know all of the reasoning, do not have all of the information the BON had. Maybe they were actually merciful to the RN.

IMO case 2 sounds like a slap on the wrist. Stealing drugs and using on the job is a big deal from the patients' point of view. I'm surprised at how many nurses don't seem to get this. There's a small chance that peer assistance might ensure that she doesn't do it again but we all know this is not likely (how many people are able to give up addictions because of a little on the job peer counseling??). It sounds to me like the system may actually be encouraging the behavior since it has little interest in nipping it in the bud.

I have really mixed feelings about the first case. I can certainly see the side that addicts tend to be manipulative etc, but it still seems really harsh.

I have no doubt about the second case - abusing drugs while on duty, regardless of the source, is not okay. Stealing drugs from work, even if they weren't actually diverted from a patient, is also significant.

I'm also surprised that the RN who gave the LPN the narcotic did so without seeing the order. Man, that's just asking for trouble,

It just seemed like the rulings were completely arbitrary and so unequal I was honestly really disappointed because I expected the board to be tough, and after the first case I thought "wow, they really are tough" but I expected them to be tough on everybody. It seemed like if you tried to make a case, your penalty was very harsh, but if you just worked out a deal, you got off easier. Some people seemed to get off with a slap on the wrist, and others more harsh, but they were all lighter than the cases that were fought by the nurses. But what if you actually feel the charges by the BON are unfounded? You just take a deal anyway?